Let it Snow!
by J-to
Summary: The Titans face a wintery villain, while trying to manage their own confused personal issues during the holiday season. Updated! Chapter Six at last!
1. Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful

  
  
Hey gang! Welcome to my first fanfiction. Thanks for being brave enough to actually read it. This is only the first (kind of shortish) chapter, and trust me, there's a lot more still to happen. I categorized this as a General/Humor, but there's also supposed to be some romance down the ways (even a possible love triangle!). Please review and let me know what you think. If you think I should stop because this sucks, let me know, also if you think it's good, let me know that too! ^^ Also, the person to guess where I ripped the bad guy from will get… something cool! -_-;;   
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
  
  
  
**Chapter 1: "Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful…"**   
  
  
  
  
  
"Titans! Go!" Robin shouted as the five young superheroes assembled into their usual formation for serious butt-kicking. Their opponent this time was a mysterious creature calling himself Sergeant Snow. This was the first time the Titans had come into direct combat with him, but he had been lurking around Jump City for some time, causing minor, but strange disturbances.   
  
Starfire swooped down from above, star bolts charged and ready to strike the overgrown mutant snowman - but he moved out of the way at the last second, firing a blast of razor sharp icicles at the alien girl. Raven quickly jumped in, diverting the icicles back towards Sergeant Snow by the use of her telekinesis. Robin had been attempting a sneak attack, while Snow was distracted by the two girls, but he soon found their enemy had the strange ability to spawn miniature snowball versions of himself - that were just as vicious as the larger version.   
  
The circle of snowballs was closing in around Robin, resistant to his kung fu attacks. He kicked one in the mouth, and it bit down on his foot, hard. "Ugh!" Robin tried to fling it off.   
  
"Hey man, need a little help?" Cyborg was at his side, armed with his blaster. "I doubt these little dudes can handle a piece of this!" The snowballs made little squealing noises as they fizzled into the pavement.   
  
"Alright!" As Cyborg and Robin gave each other a very manly high five, the moment was shattered by a very ear-piercing scream. Robin turned back toward the main battle, "Starfire!"   
  
The icicle shower had become much stronger and intermingled with the rabid snowball spawn. At the moment, Starfire had about three of them latched onto her arm, causing her starbolts to go wildly in all directions. One of her stray beams shot into Raven, sending her hurtling towards the pavement, where Beast Boy, in the form of a polar bear moved to break her fall, resulting in both of them being smashed to the ground unceremoniously.   
  
Robin had moved in with his Bo stick, while Cyborg recharged his blaster, the other Titans were gathering around. All they had to do was to combine their powers at once and….   
  
In an instant, Sergeant Snow melted to the ground, and the puddle of him that was left flowed into the nearby drain.   
  
"Heh, I guess he couldn't take the heat." Beast Boy chuckled as he rubbed a bruised shoulder.   
  
"Somehow, I don't think that's quite it." Robin, ever the optimist, scowled into the drain grate.   
  
"What were those… things?" Raven pondered, examining the bloody tooth marks on Starfire's arms. The Titans returned to their tower, slightly bruised and very confused.   
  



	2. But the Fire is So Delightful

Author's Note – (Take 2): First off, I want to thank everyone so much for reviewing the first chapter. I love you forever. ^^ All of your comments and suggestions were very helpful. You'll notice this chapter is a little bit longer (actually it's roughly 3 times longer), and gets into what I really intend the story to be about. Consider the first chapter as more of a prologue I guess. I changed the category to humor/romance, since yes; this is primarily going to be a romance story (there's an itty bitty bit of Robin/Star in this chapter). Sergeant Snow will be making a comeback in later chapters though, since he's kind of important (kind of… being a relative term). I also didn't mention that this is primarily a Christmas story (I actually totally forgot about it when writing the first notes… -_-;;) , and may or may not eventually make you wretch with sugar-filled goodness. I don't know how long it'll be until chapter 3 is up, but I'm thinking sometime early next week if not Sunday.   
  
Ok, that's over. **Disclaimer:** Teen Titans belongs to a bunch of people who are older, richer, and probably cooler than me. Obviously.   
  
This chapter has been brought to you by the letters J, Q, the song K2G by PuffyAmiYumi (which has been trapped in my brain for the last week), the Japanese exam I'm not studying for right now, and the time, which is 2:30 AM (and I have to get up at 8 for class tomorrow ^^). Enjoy.   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
**Chapter 2: "But the fire is so delightful…"**   
  
  
  
  
  
The five very tired Teen Titans returned to their oddly shaped 'secret' lair. Both Robin and Starfire had many bites from the snowballs on their bodies, while Raven had been badly burned by the reflected starbolt which had hit her. Cyborg badly needed a recharge, while Beast Boy was only slightly bruised, and flailing around in various exasperated poses.   
  
"Man that sucked. We got trashed by a freaky zombie snowman."   
  
"What next?" Raven dryly commented, flicking Beast Boy away from her shoulder.   
  
"Sergeant Snow isn't gone for good. That I'm sure of. But what does he want?" Robin pondered out loud while the others looked on. Robin hated to lose a fight, as everyone was well aware. It wasn't that the other Titans were lazy, or that they gave up easily. It was just that their leader tended to be a bit… obsessive.   
  
"Robin, do not worry," Starfire said standing at his side and placing a hand on his shoulder. "He cannot hide from us forever, and the next time we meet up with him, we will have formulated a plan of attack." She smiled warmly at him, which caused the ever-growing crease in his forehead to disappear for the time being. He had to smile too; she always seemed to have that ability to break through to him when nobody else could. He then turned his attention to the usual commotion that seemed to be starting yet again in the kitchen. Beast Boy had decided to make everyone some food while they recovered from their battle, and Cyborg had quickly intervened for the sake of his taste buds.   
  
"Come on; just let me cook this time. That way, we can all eat some real food for a change."   
  
"Hey, everyone likes my food except you. Right Raven? See? Raven loooves the tofu," the green changeling demonstrated his point by shoving an abnormally large spoonful of the white blobby substance in the gloomy girl's face. She responded with a death stare that could have frozen fire, and then resumed wrapping her burn in a bandage.   
  
"No she doesn't. Nobody likes that stuff. Nobody but you, you little weirdo." With a grin, Cyborg bumped his friend out of the way and proceeded to conjure up his version of a hearty late night snack.   
  
Everyone finally settled down to eat, and even though it was fairly late at night, Cyborg couldn't help feeling like this was just like a normal family dinner. To his left, Raven sat, flanked on her other side by Beast Boy, who was in the process of telling her something that sounded suspiciously like a knock knock joke. To his right, Robin prodded his food as he stared off into space. Cyborg was about to say something to him to break him out of it, but Starfire too, had noticed, and moved to get his attention.   
  
"Robin, earlier, Beast Boy referred to our enemy as a 'snowman'. But what exactly IS a snowman. I have not seen one on earth before. Is it some type of alien?"   
  
Robin smiled as he looked at his friend, "Well normally, a snowman is something children make out of snow. Kind of like when we built the sand castles at the beach that time. Only usually it's supposed to look like a person – with a head and a body. But this one is different…"   
  
"What is this… snow?" Starfire looked more confused than when she started.   
  
"It's white, and falls from the sky. It's cold too."   
  
"OH! I understand! You mean like that out there?" Starfire pointed out the large windows that framed the common room.   
  
"Huh?" Everyone followed to where her finger was pointing, and sure enough, a heavy snow had begun to fall. In an instant, everyone had gotten up from the table to look out the window.   
  
"This is great! There'll be a foot down there by morning!" Cyborg and Beast Boy gave each other a mischievous glance, before racing out the door exuberantly yelling "SNOWBALL FIGHT!"   
  
Raven looked glum, and commented aloud, although mostly to herself, "Isn't anybody concerned that it's snowing, in southern California?" She then floated off to her room, presumably to meditate on the subject.   
  
  
  
The room was now silent, as Robin and Starfire silently gazed out the window. Starfire took a moment from pressing her nose to the glass, to study Robin's face. He seemed… thoughtful. Perhaps even wistful? It seemed like he was waiting for something, or watching for someone. She thought his profile against the backdrop of a purple and snow-filled sky was beautiful and strong, but lonely, and suddenly she felt the urge to move closer to him. He glanced at her as he felt his skin tingle at her proximity. For a moment their eyes met, and Robin's pulse quickened slightly as he noticed the how bright her eyes were in the darkness. Did she have any idea what she did to him? How she made him feel? He searched for the words, as he had many times before when they were alone like this, but found he was barely able to breathe.   
  
With a slight smile and a blink, she finally broke eye contact and resumed her gaze into the snow.   
  
"Snow... is so very beautiful Robin," she sighed, creating a cloud from her breath on the glass. "The closest thing we have to it on my planet is ashes from volcanic eruptions. However this is much prettier."   
  
"Yeah," Robin remembered a time and place not so very long ago; a place where snow around this time of year wasn't quite so unusual. It was, he thought, December after all. "It feels like Christmas."   
  
"Christmas?" Of course, Robin thought. Star wouldn't know anything about Christmas.   
  
"Christmas is," he began, not knowing really where to start, "Well, it's sort of a religious holiday on Earth. But not really. It's mainly for giving gifts and getting together with your friends and family. There are all kinds of foods and decorations, like a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments. On December 24th, which is called Christmas Eve by the way, supposedly this magical person named Santa travels around the world bringing presents to little kids, which everyone opens the next morning." As Robin was speaking, he noticed Starfire's eyes getting very big and round, and he could feel the excitement radiating off of her as he described the festivities.   
  
"Oh! That sounds WONDERFUL!" She began jumping around the room, reminding the Boy Wonder very much of a child on Christmas morning. Suddenly she stopped short, as if remembering something. "Oh, but Robin - it is already December the 19th, is it not? We do not have a tree, or lights, or presents or cookies for Santa…" She looked crestfallen, and Robin hated to see her like that.   
  
"Well… there's still time. We can get everyone together, and I'm sure we can have a great Christmas right here." Thinking about it, Robin wondered why it had never occurred to him to celebrate the holiday with his friends in Titans' Tower. It really seemed like it would be fun.   
  
Star's enthusiasm was contagious, and the two of them began brainstorming all of the things they would have to do in the next five days. They stopped only when they heard the pounding footsteps that could only mean that Cyborg and Beast Boy had gotten tired of their snowball fight and were ready to warm up. But they didn't immediately enter the main room, and their footsteps could be heard trailing off towards the west wing of the tower.   
  
Robin and Starfire stared at each other for a moment, mystified until they heard a screech, followed by a series of slamming noises, and the sounds of Beast Boy screaming for dear life.   
  
The green teen soon appeared in the room, diving onto the couch in order to hide behind it. "Hide me from her, she's gone crazy!"   
  
He was quickly followed by a slightly smug looking Cyborg, who was closely tailed by an extremely annoyed – and wet- looking Raven. It didn't take Robin long to figure out what had happened.   
  
"Come back here! I'll teach you to come into my room and throw gigantic snowballs at my face! "   
  
"Man, I told you not to do it." Cyborg said leaning against the back of the couch, crossing his arms at his now laughing friend. Beast Boy responded with an adequately dirty look.   
  
Robin stood up with a smile, prepared to ignore this little display of immaturity. "Good! You're all here now! Star and I had a great idea we wanted to tell you about." His enthusiasm caused the newcomers to nervously come to attention. They waited with baited breath as Star joined Robin at his side, with a huge grin.   
  
Clasping her hands together in front off her, she exclaimed, "We are going to have the Christmas celebration, here in Titans' Tower!"   
  
She waited for everyone to respond just as enthusiastically as she felt, while Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy just stared blankly back at her.   
  
Raven managed at last to speak, "…Christmas?"   
  
  
- 


	3. And Since We've No Place to Go

  
  
**Author's Note:** Holy Crap, this multi-chapter fanfiction with an actual plot thing is wicked hard. Sorry this chapter took longer than I expected. I should just stick to writing one-shots (like "Rooftop", which is unfortunately, definitely only a one-shot ^^;;). I'm really glad I planned most of this out in advance otherwise I'd be stuck. I'm trying to write as much as I can right now, because soon I'm not going to have much time to update as often. In addition to intense! schoolwork, I'm actually trying to draw a 40 page comic for my best friends, which has to be done significantly before Christmas. So Chapter 4 won't be probably for a while, although I'd like to get it out this weekend. How lame! But don't worry; I WILL get this fic done before Christmas! (yeah! ::pumps fist in the air::) It's probably going to be somewhere between 9 and 11 chapters when finished (sooo… that's 10, right??). I'm not sure about the fluff level I'm actually going to attain here, because I tend to get a little embarrassed actually writing out intense love scenes. That kind of thing is a little OOC for most of these characters anyway, right? That's why I lowered the rating to PG. Notice I re-uploaded the first two chapters, all HTML-d for your viewing pleasure cruising.   
  
**Disclaimer:** Teen Titans, property of DC comics– Go buy the new comic when it comes out Nov. 25th! I'm going to! Also they belong to those swell people at Cartoon Network who have bringing me quality programming for the last 4 Christmases (we didn't get it by me too long ago… how sad) This Chapter is brought to you by Vanilla Coke and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.   
  
**Random Note:** These author notes get longer and longer every time. I like writing them ^^. While writing this chapter, I listened to: "The Christmas Song", "Bells Will Be Ringing", and "We Need a Little Christmas" (performed by the Muppets) Ok, I stop talking now, you read story. Love!   
  
  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
  
** Chapter 3: "And Since We've No Place to Go"**   
  
  
  
"Awesome!" Beast Boy punched his fist into the air, grinning. "We can get a tree and put up lights and bake cookies…" The short green superhero stopped as he realized everyone was staring at him. "What? I like to bake, ok?"   
  
"This is a great idea!" Cyborg beamed, "We really could use a little Christmas around here. We're gonna have to start real soon though, don't you think?" Starfire suddenly produced a large piece of paper she had been hiding behind her back, which comically rolled out about 4 feet down to the floor.   
  
"Oh yes, Robin and I have made a list, and we have checked it twice to make sure we didn't forget anything." She beamed while everyone else groaned at her terrible pun.   
  
"We decided it would be easier if we gave everyone something to do. Cyborg, you and I are going to go and get the tree. Beast Boy," Robin continued hesitantly, "We're putting you in charge of food. And try not to overdo the tofu?" The shortest Titan looked slightly put out as his visions of an all tofu turkey dinner were squashed. "Raven and Star, you're in charge of getting decorations for the Tower..."   
  
"Woah, hold on. I don't DO Christmas." Raven looked truly terrified by the idea of having to hang up lights and popcorn garland with her perky pink-haired partner.   
  
"Aw, come on Raven, even you can't be immune to a little holiday joy," Cyborg poked his finger into Raven's frowning face as he grinned at her.   
  
"I'm Jewish," came her deadpan reply.   
  
"No you're not. Come on. It's not _that_ bad." Robin frowned back.   
  
"Yeah, Raven. It's not like anybody is asking you to sing Silent Night dressed in a padded Santa suit." Beast Boy giggled as he apparently pictured this, and Raven glared at him to remind his she still had not forgotten about the snowball incident earlier.   
  
"Fine. Lets just do this already." Starfire began jumping up and down all around Raven comically, bubbling over with glee, as Robin began speaking again.   
  
"We also decided, that instead of getting presents for everyone, we're gonna do a Secret Santa, so that we each only have one person to shop for. So we'll pick names now, before we split up to go." Robin ripped a piece off of the bottom of Star's list and wrote everyone's names on separate strips before sticking them in an empty fruit bowl that had been sitting on the table. "Ok, everyone take one." Five hands reached into the bowl, each pulling out the name of the person they would be buying a gift for.   
  
Starfire was the first to unfold her paper, and her eyes lit up as she read the name on the paper. She glanced around her circle of friends, and saw that while Cyborg and Robin each had small smiles, Raven looked slightly embarrassed and Beast Boy was studying the faces of those around him. She wondered who had gotten her, and what wonderful gift they would choose to bestow on her; the suspense was almost too much to bear. The young alien princess was certain Christmas was the most wonderful thing on the whole planet.   
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
"Ah, snow is so wonderful, is it not Raven?" Star giggled as flakes settled gently on the tip of her nose and tickled her eyelashes. It was then next day, and the two girls had bundled up and headed down to Main Street to get their shopping "done and over with" as Raven had put it.   
  
The streets were decorated with wreaths and garland, and the shop windows were filled with elaborate displays. Starfire was enchanted by the ones that included little animated figures of Santa and his elves building toys in an imaginary workshop, or Rudolph and his blinking red nose. Several times she was terrified as a bell ringer from the Salvation Army seemed to materialize out of nowhere, ringing their bell directly into her eardrum. She kept pointing things out to Raven, who was purposely ignoring most of what she said, or responding in monosyllables. "At least she has stopped looking like she is going to bite the next person who wishes us a happy holiday," Starfire thought to herself.   
  
"Er… what should we do first? My list says we need to pick up several strings of lights, and then… glass balls for the tree?" She squinted at the list made out in Robin's small, neat handwriting, wondering exactly how safe balls made of glass were.   
  
"We should be able to get those things in that place over there," Raven pointed to a rather large and crowded looking retail store. "We should probably also get out Secret Santa gifts while we're in there..."   
  
"Yes. I'm not sure what to get though." She wondered if it was ok to tell Raven who she had to buy a gift for, and then decided it would be a good idea to ask for her help. Tapping her forefingers together, she looked earnestly at her friend, and timidly forged ahead, "I have to find something for Robin, and it has to be very special, and I am not sure what he would like and… Iwaswonderingifyouwouldhelpmethinkofsomething." This last bit came out all in a rush, as Starfire clenched her fists together determinedly in front of her flushed face.   
  
"Take it easy Starfire… of course I'll help you think of something to give to Robin. Although, not to sound like a tired holiday special cliché, but I'm sure Robin will like whatever you give him, because it came from you." Starfire's eyes glittered with joy at Raven's encouragement.   
  
"Then I will help you also! Oh – unless you do not need my help and you already know what you are getting…"   
  
"Eh, I don't know yet. I have to get something for Beast Boy; I figure I'll just get him a video game or something like that," Raven said as she squinted into the shop window, where there was a colorful display for "Next Illusion 32", a new sequel in the popular video game series.   
  
"Ah… but... Raven, don't you want to use this opportunity also to present Beast Boy with a small token of your affect-"   
  
"No." Raven glared at her naïve companion.   
  
"But Raven, he will never know how you-," Starfire began again insistently.   
  
"Exactly," Raven cut her off once again. "Come on, let's get these decorations." The conversation was over, once again before it could start, Starfire noted. She sighed as she obediently trailed after her frigid friend. Several hours later, they returned to Titans Tower with several boxes of colored glass ornaments, multiple strings of lights, and one giftwrapped copy of "Next Illusion 32", but Starfire had still not found anything she felt was suitable for Robin. She had no idea what she was going to get him, but felt she would know what it was, the instant she saw it. She just needed to think about it more.   
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
Meanwhile, Robin and Cyborg had set off on their tree hunting expedition. It was really much closer to Christmas than Robin had realized, as far as finding good trees was concerned. The pair trudged through the ever- increasing snow   
  
"All these trees are brown and scrawny," Cyborg commented, closely examining a branch as the needles fell off in showers. Robin continued scanning the tree lot; he knew he'd know it when he saw it: that perfect tree, the one that was big, but not too big, full, but not overgrown, and green and…   
  
"Hey, Robin, can I ask your advice?" Cyborg cautiously spoke up. Robin knew in an instant something important was on his friend's mind.   
  
"Of course. Is this about your present for the Secret Santa?"   
  
"Yeah." Cyborg looked sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. "You know, Raven is really tough to shop for. I have no idea what she'd possibly like. That girl is harder to read than a double encrypted government document. But it's gotta be special, you know?" Robin raised an eyebrow at his companion's obvious devotion to the task at hand. He reflected to himself, trying to think of something that would be helpful advice on finding a gift for Raven.   
  
"Well… maybe a book or something? I don't know. I'm sure whatever you decide on, she'll appreciate it." Cyborg looked very depressed with this statement.   
  
"Well, yeah, but I wanna show her… you know, how I feel. So I want to come up with something really… thoughtful. Something that represents the fact that I recognize her as the unique and special lady she is." Robin couldn't stop his eyebrow from twitching upwards. While he wasn't completely ignorant to the fact that his robotic friend had developed a certain…admiration for the spooky sorceress, he wasn't really sure whether or not encouraging it was a good idea. Raven tended to be quite… unreceptive to these things.   
  
"Well, since I already know what I'm getting for Starfire… I can help you and throw a few ideas out there." He furrowed his brow in thought as Cyborg looked expectantly on. "But first we better find a tree; it's starting to get dark out and the snow is really starting to come down."   
  
  



	4. It Doesn't Show Signs of Stopping

**Author's Note**:   
Many apologies for both the extreme lateness of this chapter and the shortness of it. This chapter was living hell to write. It is absolute and utter crap. I'm sorry. I really am. At least it's kind of longer, right? It's like 2,500 words or something. Jeez. Besides getting bogged down with constant writers' block the whole way through, school has gotten strangely busy as of late. Is this story getting bad? Bad cheesy? Let me know. Oh yeah, I have no idea what Tamaran is supposed to be like, so I just made it up. Glaring errors should be pointed out for future revisions. In this chapter, behold as the Boy Wonder cops a feel. Ha ha ha. Does anybody even read these author notes? Are you out there? I can seeeeee you. ::waves frantically::   
Standard Disclaimer Applies   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
  
**"It Doesn't Show Signs of Stopping…"**   
  
  
  
"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…Robin laid an egg…"   
  
"Shut up and hand me that extension cord Beast Boy," Robin frowned as he pointed his staple gun menacingly at his companion. The two teen superheroes were precariously hanging off the roof, in order to decorate the outside of the tower. They were just about finished and Robin was definitely ready to go inside.   
  
Over the last three days, the unusual snowfall had continued, stopping intermittently, only to begin again a few hours later. Many parts of the city had been shut down due to the inability o deal with the amount of the stuff. It was now December 24th, and holiday preparations at Titans Tower were in full swing. While Robin and Beast Boy were finishing up the outdoor decorating, Raven and Starfire were placing the last trimming on the tree, and placing the last of the cookies on trays. It was all very domestic. Cyborg had disappeared to his room shortly after breakfast, saying he had something important to work on, and no one had heard from him since. Starfire had tried to bring him a plate of cookies, but he hadn't answered his door. She left them sitting there, and when she had gone back an hour later, to her surprise, they were mysteriously gone.   
  
"I wonder what he's doing in there…" Beast Boy pondered out loud. He was somehow pretty sure that Cyborg was the one who had to give Raven a present, and saying he was slightly envious was an understatement. He kept having horrible, horrible visions of Cyborg somehow producing a gift that would magically sweep Raven off her feet, and cause her to do something so incredibly uncharacteristic like giggle or cry with joy or hug him or even ki…   
  
"Hey, Beast Boy, take it easy on that box!" Sure enough, as he had been thinking, he had grabbed the empty light box and begun tearing it to shreds with his teeth in frustration. Spitting out the cardboard from his mouth and blushing furiously, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Robin merely raised his eyebrow and turned back to the task at hand.   
  
"Ok BB, take it easy man… Cyborg is your pal. This isn't a competition. Who said he even likes Raven? Who said you even liked Raven? Like-like. You know what I mean. Of course you _like_ her, she's your friend. Yep, just friends, the three of us. Me, Raven, and good ol' Cy. Yeah right, who am I kidding?" Beast Boy waged an impossible war with himself, as he continued to uphold his state of denial. Things would be much easier for everyone, he felt, especially himself, if he just wouldn't admit that he was very much in love with his female teammate. At least not out loud.   
  
He tried very hard, in his own childish way, to gain her attention, to make her jealous, to get her to react towards him in any positive manner. It was pretty hard considering who he was working with here, and while his attempts failed miserably and his insecurity grew, he struggled to maintain his upbeat and cheerful exterior. Actually, it wasn't all that hard. Despite the strength of his unrequited feelings, Beast Boy was, after all, still Beast Boy, and his usual happy-go-lucky demeanor remained mostly intact. That what made him perfect for Raven, he figured. It was like day and night.   
  
  


*****

  
  
  
"Starfire, stop eating the popcorn garland…we're going to run out." Starfire sneakily hid the offending string behind her back, in an attempt to fool her omnipotent friend.   
  
"It is amazing, Raven, how you know these things, without even looking." The young alien girl resumed her liberal scattering of tinsel on the highest boughs of the tree, in wonderment over how they really looked like little icicles dangling off the branches. Except not as cold.   
  
The preparations were almost complete, and things couldn't be more wonderful in Starfire's opinion. The Tower had taken on a warm, comforting smell of cocoa and baking, everywhere she looked, something was either brilliantly colored or lit up and blinking, and there seemed to be a constant stream of soft tinkling music in the background. It was a sensory overload and she felt she would never get enough of it. She was thankful for everyone else's enthusiasm and grateful for Robin's support of her interest to begin with. But that was how Robin always was. Robin made earth all that more of an inviting place, and Starfire didn't realize it, but she was helping him see the world anew from her eyes. A world that while sometimes confusing and unpleasant, was also filled with incredible and amazing things. Like Christmas.   
  
Finding her way to that one person, her dear friend Robin, from the very beginning of her time on Earth, she considered to be one of her greatest blessings. Since, from what she had gathered, Christmas was a time to "count your blessings," she thought it was important that her gift to him showed exactly how lucky she felt to have found him.   
  
After her day of shopping with Raven, Starfire had gone off on her own, exploring many shops downtown looking for that something. She had returned to the Tower, defeated and ready to believe there really was no object she could buy that could encompass all of her feelings for someone as kind and caring, and thoughtful and understanding as Robin.   
  
After she and Raven had completed trimming the tree, Starfire returned to her room to re-ponder her dire situation. Christmas Eve and still no gift had come forth. It was then that her gaze happened to fall upon a box of keepsakes she had brought with her from Tamaran. She hadn't examined the contents of this box in a long while, having been so overwhelmed with things to keep her busy on Earth.   
  
The little box contained a few notes of well wishing, dried fragments of familiar plants that bloomed in the garden, and there, finally, there thing she had been searching for. It was a strangely curved black stone, worn smooth and polished over time. It seemed to sparkle in the dim light like onyx, as it hung from Starfire's fingers on a thin silvery chain.   
  
"Hey Starfire!" The redheaded princess quickly replaced the stone in the box and clamped the lid shut defensively. Beast Boy was standing at her door, and seemed rather in a hurry. "We're gonna exchange presents now, c'mon! Oh yeah, you got any tape?"   
  
  


*****

  
  
  
Starfire entered the living room, where Raven, Robin and Beast Boy had already gathered on the circular couch, each clutching their chose gift in hand. Each package was wrapped in a completely different way. Raven's package had been wrapped by the clerk in the store where she had bought it, in holiday print red and green paper, topped with a medium sized gold star-shaped bow. It was very pretty, but seemed almost silly resting in Raven's hand. It made her look almost… jolly, Starfire giggled to herself as she took a seat next to Robin, whose package was meticulously wrapped in iridescent pink paper, that sometimes shone purple, green, and gold in the light. This rather largish looking present was finished off with pink, purple, and aqua curled ribbons that bounced with each of Robin's nervous foot taps.   
  
"Where is Cyborg?" Starfire asked, after performing a scan of the room and finding her robotic teammate absent. Both Robin and Beast Boy looked slightly annoyed at the question, as if they were wondering the same thing themselves, and Raven just glared at them before answering Star.   
  
"He said he needed more time on his present, and that we should go ahead without him." Starfire thought about this until she realized Robin was staring at her in a… most unusual way. He seemed very nervous about something. Maybe he had that "gift-giving anxiety" Raven had been talking about earlier. She gave him what she considered her most reassuring smile, but he just seemed to look a bit worse from it. She looked down at the gift in her own hands, which she had quickly wrapped in some red tissue paper.   
  
Raven cleared her throat, and began. "Beast Boy, this is from me. Er… Merry Christmas. I hope you like it." Raven practically threw it at him, but nobody really noticed, because Beast Boy was so eager to open it, he snatched it right up and tore off the paper.   
  
"Awesome!! Next Illusion 32!! This is the most awesome game ever made. There's 80 worlds, and over 40 characters, not including secret characters you can unlock, and of course there's the online gaming option, with multiple servers for multiple dimensions of pla-"   
  
"Did you _memorize_ the commercial?" Raven tried to look thoroughly disgusted, but deep down, Starfire suspected, she was really quite happy about the reception of her gift. Beast Boy wasn't listening, and had already taken the game out of the box, along with its many companion playbooks and manuals.   
  
"C'mon, we have to try it out right now!!" Before she could protest, Beast Boy had bounced up, game in hand, grabbing Raven by the arm and pulled her out of the room. Raven looked helpless as she was pulled away against her will.   
  
Starfire giggled and turned to Robin. "Now I can give you my gift, Robin." She handed him the small parcel, placing it gently in the palm of his hand. "Merry Christmas!" She beamed as he began untying the string. As the tissue paper fell open, Starfire watched with bright green eyes as Robin gently picked the stone up by its cord, and looked at it, and then at her.   
  
"It's … very pretty."   
  
"It is a Tamarainian good luck charm. I brought it with me when I came here. I wish for you to have it."   
  
Robin seemed doubtful, and studied the stone carefully in the light. "Are you sure? This is yours, don't you want to keep it?"   
  
"I no longer have the need for it. Since I have been on earth, I seem to have all the luck I need. Therefore, give this to you, because you have made me the luckiest person on the planet." Starfire smiled gently as Robin blushed almost as red as Santa's red suit. He seemed at a loss for a moment, before he cleared his throat and picked up his gift.   
  
"This is for you," He smiled gently as she took the square package from his hands. "Merry Christmas."   
  
She found herself blushing as she slowly undid the carefully wrapped item. She breathed heavily as she laid eyes on the heavy leather book that lay in her lap. Its cover had no markings, and she looked at Robin's expectant face questioningly.   
  
"It's a scrap book. You put different things in it that remind you of things you've done," as Robin spoke, Starfire opened to the middle of the book to find there were photographs of different outings they had gone on. There was a group photo of them from the amusement park they had gone to that summer, a ticket stub from the first movie they had all gone to together -the first one Starfire had ever seen on earth- more pictures of them inside the tower, various newspaper clippings from the villains they had faced…   
  
Starfire turned each page over, marveling at the many things Robin had managed to save and compile into his volume. She was touched, and didn't know what to say. "Robin… this is…"   
  
"Read the front page," Robin gestured as he shifted nervously in his chair. Starfire turned to the front page, which had nothing glued to it, but rather had a long note written in pen.   
  
_"Star-   
  
Merry Christmas! I hope you like this scrapbook I put together. It didn't take me long to think of it for you, as I've been saving all these things since you first came to earth anyway. I want you to always have a record of your time here on earth, and your friends here who care about you. But I'm making it sound like you're going to leave – actually I hope you stay here with me on this planet forever. I never dreamed I could meet someone as wonderful as you. In this short time, you've become my best friend, and the light on the dark side of me. I guess, I just want to say thank you.   
  
Love,   
Robin _   
  
Suddenly, Starfire was very acutely aware that they were very much alone in the room. The atmosphere had changed, and she looked up at Robin. The book's dedication hadn't said much, but reading between the lines, it spoke volumes about Robin's true feelings. Starfire didn't know it, but it had taken him a good six hours to write the letter, finding every part of it an inadequate expression of what he wanted to really say. Their eyes met, as they sat there on the couch, strains of "Silver Bells" making their way into Starfire's ears. She wasn't really sure why, if it was the gift, or the music, or the temperature of the room, but she knew she wanted to be as close to her best friend as humanly possible.   
  
He must have been thinking the same thing, because they clumsily bumped into a tentative embrace, before sorting themselves out and tightly holding one another. Starfire closely studied Robin's slightly open mouth, as she could feel his strained breath. The same strange feeling as before caused her to slowly press her lips to his. Robin's response was to grasp her more tightly, positioning his hands on her lower back, and the girl pulled back with a sharp breath, before her lips were recaptured in an equally gentle, but much less hesitant return kiss. Things began very slowly, but soon began to pick up pace as both became more secure in their explorations. This went on until Robin broke the contact to speak:   
  
"Merry Christmas Star."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N:(I'm sooo sorry!!) 


	5. But I've Got Some Corn for Popping

Author's Note: Wow. I'm sooooo thankful for all the reviews, especially those in response to my massively self deprecating remarks in the author's note last chapter. ^^ You guys are great! I seem to keep catching all these grammar errors in my writing that are quite embarrassing indeed. Indeed. Also, I think I really had trouble writing the Robin/Starfire relationship, so I'm glad it was well-received. I have to say, though, I'm really surprised at the interest people seem to have over Cyborg/Raven. Previously I wouldn't have though there was that much interest in this couple, but maybe Car Trouble changed some people's opinions? So I was inspired to really give this couple the well though out and sensitive treatment it deserves. (or..not?) There was a lot of pressure to perform in coming up with Cy's present for Raven. It was rough goings, lemme tell you. I think I set it up too much ^^.  
  
Other Note: It has come to my attention that in the writing of the last chapter, I have completely deviated from my original planning for each chapter. Haha, the Ro/S fluff was supposed to come in the NEXT chapter. Oh well. That would have just been dragging things out more. But I do have to rethink things a bit. Hmmm. This chapter needs to DIE. For the first time since I wrote the first chapter, it actually IS snowing while I'm writing this. Go snow.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"But I've Got Some Corn For Popping…"  
  
Shrouded in darkness, except for the sole spotlight which beamed down like a street lamp on his head, he toiled away. How many hours he had passed in this way, Cyborg would never know. He supposed he was making too big a deal out of this, but he was almost done now anyway, so what was a few more minutes, or hours, or…  
  
  
  
The day they had picked the name of their Secret Santa gift recipient, Cyborg had felt himself filled with a strange panic. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. His mind began working away at the problem immediately, calculating endless amounts of solutions, none of them quite working out as he had planned. He began, was unsatisfied with his progress, scrapped it, and tried again. An inner perfectionist side of him that he never knew he had had emerged. He had to think of it, perfect present for Raven – the girl who had everything. Or rather, the girl who wanted nothing, it seemed.  
  
Cyborg's conversation with Robin had not been very helpful, and in fact only convinced him of the fact that his buddy was very severely deranged and out of touch with reality, especially on the subject of giving presents to difficult females.   
  
Raven was a challenge, and Cy couldn't resist a challenge in any form. Although outwardly it seemed they had nothing in common, had different priorities, and sometimes bit each other's heads off, Cyborg knew that some of the best relationships started with heated arguments. He wasn't sure really when he started to like Raven in a "more than strictly friends" sort of way, but once he realized it, his feelings seemed to make more and more sense to him. He also felt that lately she had been opening up to him more, in a way that he hadn't seen her do with any of the other Titans. Very promising.   
  
So, just as Cyborg had decided to play things by ear, and let them progress slowly, this whole Christmas deal had to come along and rear its ugly head. Suddenly he felt the immense pressure to perform; sure she'd like whatever he got her, or pretend to, anyway, as Robin had halfheartedly assured, but that wouldn't help his case with her any. As he slaved away, he had to chuckle to himself about how cliché it all seemed – the guy, searching desperately for the "perfect" gift to woo his lady fair. And then he had to chuckle to himself, because he had just used the words "woo" and "lady fair" in a sentence describing Raven. Damn she was pretty. Maybe, she had picked his name too, and right now she was thinking the same thing – what present to get for him to best display her appreciation. The butterflies in his stomach stirred once again at his thoughts, and he fought to suppress them. "Can't go getting' all mushy now – 'sides I doubt Rae'd go for me falling over her feet, reciting sonnets. Although…" Cyborg added "write a sonnet" onto his list of possible gifts, before wrinkling his nose and scratching it off, embarrassed at himself for even giving it a second thought.  
  
This process of brainstorming had been going on for quite sometime, and Cyborg was starting to crack. And he was running out of time. He hadn't left his room in almost 2 days – Starfire had been bringing him food, but he figured it was best not to be interrupted. Her cooking had gotten better though, he noted, or perhaps it was just that he was extremely hungry.  
  
Getting a present for Star would've been so much easier, he thought. Just get her something shiny that moved on its own and she'd be amused for hours. He chuckled to himself. Star.  
  
  
  
Suddenly the answer to his problem was obvious. Cyborg began preparing the materials he would need right away. It might take a while, but this was the best idea ever.  
  
*********  
  
Raven had been standing over Beast Boy's shoulder, watching him install, and then play Last Illusion 32 for approximately the last 36 minutes and 43 seconds. She didn't know why she bothered to stand there, he'd hardly been saying much, except a few "Oh, check this out!" and other semi-explanatory comments about his enjoyment of the game. She finally decided it was time for her to get back to the others, and heaving a slight sigh, exited the room.  
  
As she walked, she traced her fingers lightly over the cold grey steel walls, feeling, as she usually did, without any particular emotion. It was a very 'blah' way to live and feel, especially at Christmastime, she reflected. Not looking where she was walking, she crashed directly into Cyborg, apparently on his way to the same place, paying as little attention to where he was going as she had been  
  
"The beast has emerged from his cave at last?" Raven smirked, before taking into account the very flustered expression of her teammate. "What's up? I'm just heading back to the main room so we can finish… the merryness." She waved her hand in the direction of the living room where unbeknownst to them; Robin and Starfire were quite…occupied.  
  
"Oh, well, uh. Actually, Raven, let's take a minute before we go with everyone else, so I can give you your present." The cybernetic teen pulled a small wrapped package from behind his back, clearing his throat. He looked really… uncomfortable, Raven thought, the thought making her uncomfortable in turn. As she slowly unwrapped the gift, she started to get that weird tingly feeling on the back of her neck that told her instantly he was expectantly watching her.   
  
In her lap was a very odd grey box, about the size of a shoebox, with various buttons and knobs, and holes punched in the top of it. It seemed to be some sort of machine, but other than that, Raven was at a loss, and looked to Cyborg for further assistance. "Check it out," he said, picking the box up from her hands and turning a few dials. It instantly began to make mechanical rotating noises, and somewhere inside the machine, a bright light went on. Cyborg placed it on the floor of the hallway, and the lights began to move. Raven looked at the ceiling, where now there seemed to be a field of bright stars growing, causing the gray interior of the Tower hall to look like an open field on the darkest, clearest night.  
  
"You made this? It's like a mini-planetarium," she was mesmerized as she searched the tiny model and found every constellation she could think of accurately represented.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, it wasn't too tough once I had the idea. So you like it then?"   
  
"Of course I do! This is amazing."   
  
"Raven, there's something I need – WE need to talk about." Cyborg was practically wringing his hands now, and Raven had no doubt in her mind that he was going to broach THAT subject with her. You always just knew when that sort of thing was about to happen. This was… really out of nowhere, Raven thought.   
  
"Uh… ok. Shoot."  
  
"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but there seems to be this … chemistry between us. I know it may not seem like we have a whole lot in common, but you know, opposites attract and that sort of thing. And I know you don't seem to be big on the whole fluffy love and romance deal, but you know, neither am I, and I figured well, I mean I guess I didn't figure anything. But I just wanted to let you know how I feel. And maybe wonder how you were feeling."   
  
"Woah… breathe…" Raven put her hand up defensively. "This is kind of, sudden, don't you think? I mean, I guess we've been becoming better friends lately, yeah, and I really am glad too. But…" It really was quite a lot to think about, and Raven floundered around for a good answer as Cyborg's blushing face rapidly fell. "I don't… I mean… well… I wouldn't… we shouldn't ruin our friendship. Don't you think that's best?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, of course you're right. Ha ha, I'm sorry Raven, to dump all this on you right now. I'm gonna go find Robin and Star. I'm glad you liked the present. Merry Christmas!" Before she could stop him, Cyborg was already sprinting down the hallway, and Raven simply stared after him, mouth wide open.  
  
Raven, now standing alone in the hallway, surrounded by the cold and the gray once more, was dumbfounded. She had no idea what to think, except that she never wanted to have to ever give anybody the "let's not ruin our special friendship" line again. It sounded so bad, especially when she re-played it in her mind for the next 10 minutes. She was just about ready to force herself into the kitchen for some tea, when Beast Boy happened along, apparently having finally resurfaced from the multi-player world of Real Illusion 32.  
  
"Hey Raven, what's wrong?"  
  
  
  
"Eh, nothing really, I was just about to go make some tea. Are you finally done drooling over that game?"   
  
Beast Boy grinned, "For now. It's like you knew exactly what to get me! Thanks! Did you get your present yet? I still gotta give mine," he waved the wrapped box he was holding in his hand. His grin changed to a look of concern very suddenly. "Are you sure nothing's bugging you? You look kinda depressed. I mean, more so than usual. I mean…heh. Open mouth insert foot."  
  
"It's just been kind of a weird half hour I guess. People saying really strange things out of nowhere. Or maybe I've just been blind to it until now." Raven held up the Star-Globe from Cyborg as though it could explain things better than she could.   
  
"Ah. Aaaah…" In a rare moment of clarity, Beast Boy thought he might be able to figure out what had happened just before his entrance. His brain started to launch into a confusing pattern of thoughts, and he gestured and pointed frantically to himself in an attempt to clarify things.  
  
"C'mon, let's go. There's a bag of red and green holiday shaped marshmallows with my name on it." Raven started to walk away, but Beast Boy grabbed her hand, causing her to jerk and turn to him as he looked at her bewilderedly, but continued to grasp her wrist.  
  
"Raven, um…before we go…"   
  
But Beast Boy didn't get to finish whatever he was about to say, because at that moment, there was a loud blast outside, close by, and the power went out, plunging the pair into darkness. 


	6. The Lights Are Turned Way Down Low

1**Author's Note: **Here it is, the long-awaited chapter 6. Uh, sorry it took so long? Hopefully it won't take another year for Chapter 7 ;; (actually I plan on starting in on it after I post this). Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of romance in this chapter, it's more action oriented. I'm not really sure how good I am at writing action, so feedback would be much appreciated. Sargent Snow is kinda a lame-ass villain. I mean, let's be honest, this isn't Shakespeare here. I hope to finish off this in another 3 chapters.

I also wanna say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. The reviews make me smile, even the crazy incoherent ones. :)

**Disclaimer:** If Teen Titans DID belong to me, it probably wouldn't be pretty. So let's all be glad it doesn't, shall we?

* * *

**Chapter 6: "The Lights Are Turned Way Down Low"**

_Crack!_

Robin and Starfire sprang apart as the common room, previously bathed in a soft pink glow from all the colored Christmas lights, was plunged into pitch black. Still clinging to one another, they surveyed the room as their eyes adjusted to the new darkness.

"What the heck was that?" Robin asked rhetorically of Starfire's anxiously glowing eyes. They froze, holding their breaths as they heard an ominous series of creaks and footfalls from the corridor outside of the room.

Robin and Starfire poised themselves for attack as the door was manually pulled open. They were instantly blinded by a bright white light.

-----

Cyborg walked down the hallway toward the common room, deep in thought. "well that could have gone much worse," he reasoned. "She could have killed me. At least she liked the present..." As if it was punctuating his thoughts, with a pop and a fizzle, the hallways lights flickered and then went out, and the robotic teen found himself surrounded only by the faint blue and red glow that he himself was emanating.

"Hmm, must have blown the fuses with all those darn lights." He turned on his extra search light and pried the disfunctioning automatic doors to the common room open.

-----

"Auggh!!" Starfire yelped. "Robin! I am unable to see!"

Quickly, Cyborg turned to the side so that his light was not shining directly on his two friends. Blushing slightly, he quickly uttered an embarrassed "oops," before there was yet another interruption in the form of a loud creak and a series of metallic thumping noises.

The three Titans looked around in the dim light. "Is it just me, or did it just get a lot colder in here?" Robin cautiously asked no one in particular. Cyborg's sensors as well as a thick layer of frost on the large front windows confirmed it.

-----

Standing in the dark, Beast Boy slowly became aware he was still gripping Raven's wrist. Quickly he let go as though it had burned him. "Maybe that was a sign," he thought as he remembered what he had been about to say before the lights went out.

"Ugh, what now?" Raven complained. It was impossible to see anything, and she found the whole situation extremely frustrating. She could still feel a tingle on her wrist where beast Boy had grabbed her, and was momentarily glad for the darkness hiding her flushed face.

"I guess we should find the others."

"Yeah," Beast Boy was reluctant to throw away this convenient opportunity with Raven in the dark. However, it was starting to get chilly in the hallway and he thought maybe he could find something in the kitchen to warm himself up.

As if reading his mind Raven exhaled deeply, folding her arms up in order to restore some feeling to her frozen fingertips. "Why is it so cold?"

"Heat must have turned off too..." They walked past a small window in the hallway, which provided a tiny alleviation from the pitch darkness. Beast Boy looked over at Raven, whose face was bathed soft blue, which only served to make her already pale skin appear even more ghostlike. At times like these, he wondered if she would disappear.

Raven, choosing to ignore the fact that Beast Boy was now intently gazing at her face, instead observed that the hallway was coated in a layer of frost. She exhaled again and saw her breath in a puff of smoke. She had a very bad feeling about this.

"Someone's here. And I don't think it's Satna Claus."

----

Starfire noticed the trickle of water under the door first, then tugged on Robin's cape, pointing wordlessly as the trickle became a stream.

"Sargent Snow!" the Boy Wonder hissed as he gestured to Cyborg, cuing him to prepare his sonic cannon. The puddle of water that had formed at the doorway was beginning to solidify, forming into their snowy adversary.

With a deep malicious laugh, Sargent Snow stood before the Titans, and the room they were in instantly became like an arctic tundra. Snow whorled around their feet as the three sprung into action. "Titans Go!"

Starfire flew into the air, assaulting the mutant snowman with as many starbolts as she could produce, while Cyborg Simultaneously attempted to get a good shot with his canon.

For a large snowman , he moved fairly quickly around the room, deflecting all of the starbolts with his shields of ice. Robin moved in for a direct physical assault. He somersaulted into the air and delivered a direct kick to the snowman's gut. He was horrified to discover his leg had become lodged within Sargent Snow's body, and it was becoming colder by the minute. He struggled, pulling with all his might to dislodge it.

"Robin!" Starfire flew up behind him, and helped pull, taking advantage of the close range to shoot green blasts of energy directly into his face. The snow monster merely laughed again, and with a thrust, launched Robin across the room, taking Starfire with him. The two landed in a heap, and Robin looked with horror at his leg encased in a thick block of ice.

----

"The door is frozen shut!" Raven spoke in a voice that was slightly more panicky than she liked. The two had run the rest of the way down to the common room, where they could hear the obvious sounds of a battle raging within.

"Leave it to me baby," Beast Boy grinned impishly as he shape shifted into a wooly mammoth and charged the door. It easily burst open, and Raven pulled up her hood and covered her face with her arm as shards of ice splintered everywhere.

The scene they came upon was chaotic at best. The room was covered in mounds of snow, and Robin and Starfire were still crouched in a corner of the room, trying to thaw out his leg.

"Guys, hold Frosty down so I can get a clean shot!" Cyborg shouted. Raven obliged, focusing her concentration and enveloping the snowman in a sheath of black energy. Once Cyborg gave her the signal, he released it and he fired his sonic cannon at full blast. "Got 'im!" He cheered. Indeed, the snowman had been dissolved into nothing more than a pile of snow. However, the battle wasn't over yet.

"Uh, is snow supposed to bubble?" Beast boy asked, reverting to his normal form. Indeed, the snow was bubbling up into hundreds of the miniature snowballs that they had encountered earlier in the week. soon the room was filled with them, each one giggling, as if mocking their superhero adversaries. Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg got to work chasing them down, trying unsuccessfully to diminish their numbers.

"This does not seem to be working," Starfire huffed. Robin, having nearly recovered use of his right leg, got a desperate idea and began searching through his utility belt. Finding the mini-bomb, he pulled the fuse and threw it into the adjacent corner. The explosion was small, but generated a decent amount of heat. the Snowball mutants began to quickly dissipate as Robin stood and released another bomb.

"But I can't just blow them all up, otherwise I'll blow us all up too..." he thought. They all seemed to be migrating out of the room, like a flood of rats abandoning a sinking ship. "If only we knew more about them..." He scanned the room quickly and grabbed a convenient spare containment unit off the kitchen counter as he ran after the flood.

"Robin!" Cyborg shouted. "They're going away?" As the last few snowballs evacuated the room, Robin took a flying dive and trapped one in the contained he had grabbed, sealing the lid.

"Gotcha, you little..."

* * *

**Random End Note:** I would like to dedicate this chapter to Mountain Dew and Parliament. They are my vices. Also, having finally seen some Terra episodes, I am reminded of Avril Lavigne. Why does she have to go and make things so complicated? 


End file.
